Adjustable measuring device



March 3, 1953 G. w. CHESTER ADJUSTABLE MEASURING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8,1950 Gifford W- Chesfer 7 BY a IN V EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE MEASURINGDEVICE Gifford W. Chester, Kansas City, Mo.

Application August 8, 1950, Serial No. 178,325

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful immovements and structuralrefinements in measuring devices, more particularly, measuring spoons orscoops such as are commonly used for transferring a predeterminedquantity of material in the nature of coffee, flour, sugar, etc, from astorage container to a dough mixing pan, perculator or the like, and theprincipal object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter herein-described, which may be used for accurately measuring apredetermined amount of material which is being handled.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of meansfor adjusting the device so as to accommodate diiferent, predeterminedquantity of material.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity ofconstruction, in its efiicient operation, in its pleasing appearance,and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement andconstruction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line l4 in Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail, taken substantially in theplane of the line ii 5 in Figure 2.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the inventionconsists of an adjustable measuring device which is designated generallyby the reference character IL and embodies in its construction asubstantially cylindrical receptacle 12 which is provided integrallywith a laterally projecting handle l4 and with a longitudinallyextending reinforcing rib [6 under the handle, as shown.

The outer end portion of the handle formed with an aperture I8 wherebythe entire device may be hung from a hook when it is not in use, and itis to be noted that the receptacle I2 is provided at diametricallyopposite sides of its lateral wall with a pair of spiral slots 20 toslidably receive a pair of keeper pins 22. These keeper pins havediametrically reduced portions which actually project into the slots 29,while the main body portions of the keeper pins are slidable in atubular guide 24 provided at the underside of a bottom 26 of thereceptacle l2. The bottom 26 is provided with an upstanding annularflange 28 which frictionally but slidably engages the inner surface ofthe receptacle, and it will be noted from the foregoing that by usingthe guide 24 as a fingerpiece, the bottom 26 may be rotated in onedirection or the other in the receptacle, thus sliding the pins 22 inthe slots Zil and, by virtue of the spiral configuration of the slots,shifting the bottom 25 upwardly or downwardly in the receptacle, as thecase may be. Accordingly, the Volume or capacity of the receptacle willbe correspondingly decreased or increased, whereby the quantity ofmaterial picked up in the receptacle of the device may be accuratelymeasured, depending upon the position of the bottom relative to thereceptacle.

As is best shown in Figure 3, a compression spring 30 is positioned inthe guide 24 and bears against the keeper pins 22, thus urging thelatter into the slots 20, but by pressing the keeper pins inwardly outof the slots 20, that is, into the guide 24 against the resiliency ofthe spring at, the bottom 28 may be removed for purposes of cleaning thesame as well as the interior of the receptacle.

In order to assure accuracy of measurements, means are provided forpreventing heaping of material in the receptacle, these means simplyconsisting of a substantially semi-circular levelling member 32 which isformed integrally with an arcuate arm 34, the latter being provided atits outer end with a vertical pivot pin 36 which extends downwardlythrough the intermediate portion of the handle M into a cylindricalcasing 38 depending from the handle.

The arm 34 is provided concentrically with the pin 36 with a boss 40,and a helical spring 42 is positioned in the casing 38 on the pin 36,one end of this spring being anchored in the boss 49, while theremaining end thereof is anchored in the bottom wall of the casing 38,as is clearly shown in Figure 5.

A stop lug 44 is provided on the arm 34 adjacent the levelling member32, thisstop lug being urged in abutment with the adjacent side edge ofthe handle it by the action of the spring 42,

3 so that the levelling member 32 is normally in alignment with thereceptacle I2, as shown.

However, the arm 34 is equipped at one longitudinal edge thereof with areinforcing rib 35 having an upwardly projecting fingerpiece 43 providedthereon, and it will be noted from the foregoing that by simply graspingthe handle M in the palm of the hand and pressing the fingerpiece 43with the thumb in the direction of the arrow 50, the levelling member 32may be caused to sweep across the open upper end of the receptacle I2 soas to level the material therein and assure accurate measurement.Needless to say, as soon as pressure on the fingerpiece 48 is released,the spring 42 will automatically return the levelling member 32 to itsinitial position wherein the stop lug 44 engages the handle [4.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will beclearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly,further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resortedto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a measuring device, the combination of a cylindrical receptacleincluding a lateral wall provided at diametrically opposite sides of itslower portion with a pair of spiral slots, a circular bottom slidablyand rotatably positioned in the lower portion of said receptacle, anopenended cylindrical guide provided at the underside and extendingdiametrically of said bottom, a pair of keeper pins slidable in oppositeend portions of said guide, diametrically reduced extensions provided atthe outer ends of said pins and projecting into the respective slots,and a coil spring positioned in said guide between said pins for urgingthe same outwardly.

GIFFORD W. CHESTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 544,398 Ackerman Aug. 13, 18951,050,502 Welch Jan. 14;, 1913 1,202,101 Read Oct. 24, 1916 1,226,48Ehrlich May 15, 1917 1,508,548 Gottheimer Sept. 16, 1924 2,328,995 OldsSept. 7, 1943 2,459,466 Spreen Jan. 18, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 1,689 Great Britain 1885

